The Scar
by redgrass-and-silvertrees
Summary: In the days following the Promised Day, Scar would find his thoughts drawn to golden eyed young man who had, once upon a time, he had nearly killed only to later be saved by him. Scar introspective. One-shot


**I'm more likely to perform alchemy than own this amazing manga**

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The man once known as Scar spent a lot of his time thinking about Edward Elric. It was strange but, during the events of the Promised Days and years afterward, Scar would find his thoughts drawn to boy with the striking golden eyes. Though he would not admit it to anyone aloud; Scar was pretty sure it was that boy who had saved him from his path of vengeance. In fact there was no doubt; before he'd met the Fullmetal Alchemist and his younger brother, Scar had never felt compassion or even admiration for an Amestrian, much less a State Alchemist. But that chance meeting in the rain, and the ones that followed, had left such a strong impression on him that he found himself asking what the young alchemist would do during such troubled times.

Whenever he doubted whether he could work with Amestrians and other Ishvalans leading up to the final battle with the evil that infested his country; it was Edward's steady gaze that looked equally upon all people that came to him. When he returned to Ishval, a new man entirely and he wondered what a monster like him could do; he thought of the trials Edward had borne in order to fix the mistakes of his past. As he reconnected with his people, both new friends and old faces; he thought of the bright love that radiated off the boy who by all means should have been lost to despair.

Scar rubbed his hands in the cool pre-dawn air to ward off some of the chill. He was sitting on the roof of his modest home, the sun would be rising within the next half an hour and he found this was his favorite time for quiet meditation. Many, many years had passed since Bradley and his evil regime had fallen and his life had begun anew. He breathed in the air, marveling again how the worries and fears of long ago were just ghosts in the back of his mind. He'd heard somewhere that Edward had married the Rockbell daughter a while back, of course he had, the boy had clearly been in love with her when they had all met up in Baschol. But Scar felt a small personal satisfaction at the news, the two people he felt he'd wronged most in his wretched life had come together to make something better of themselves and of this country.

He closed his eyes as the first hints of light hit upon the horizon; in a strange way he felt responsible for the elder Elric. He'd held that bright life in his hands once, back when he'd been little more than rage in human skin, and had come within moments of snuffing it out for good. Of course he didn't know at the time that he'd very nearly killed the child who would lead to his salvation, who years later he would turn his thoughts to in the early hours of the morning. So in a way, everything Edward Elric had accomplished since that grim day had been because Scar had been unable or unwilling perhaps to kill him.

He thought sometimes why he had hesitated, drawn out the battle long enough for the children's guardian (He'd seen the look of enraged worry in Mustang's eyes, after the war, he could recognize that paternal panic anywhere) to come to their aid. He at first thought it was because they had been children, victims of the same machine which had ruined him. He later decided that it was because the fierce love Edward had exhibited towards first his brother and, later, the Rockbell girl, had reminded Scar too much of his own brother to hurt him. Finally years after the Promised Day, Scar had decided that it was because he had sensed within the part of him still attuned to God that Edward was destined for greater things than to die in the street like a dog.

Edward would be a grown man by now-though Scar would always remember him as the terrified young boy who was willing to trade his life for his brother's- living happily with his wife and probably with children as well. A small smile graced his face, because he'd failed in his duty there were new lives in the world, young children who would learn about life from the wisest source. He felt… proud in a far-off way and he suspected that many of the other people who'd been touched not just by Edward but the younger brother as well felt the same way. Those two, they had a sort of magical touch on them. People who they met and helped along their journey sympathized with them, hated them, cheered for them, supported them, were _changed_ by them; any way it was the Elrics certainly had a way with stirring up people's emotions.

The light was now just beginning to warm his face but still his eyes remained closed. He thought about what would have happened, had one brother or the other fallen during his attack. He had committed many despicable acts but that is one he is relieved to say he didn't. He wondered how much darker the world would have been without those two brothers. Would the military conspiracy ever have been uncovered? Would the revival of Ishval still have happened, or what if everyone had been killed had the deadly transmutation been activated as planned?

The small smile remained on his face even as he opened his eyes to finally watch the sunrise, not daring to avert his eyes against the bright light. Though the child -young man- was godless Scar had no doubt that God's hand rested on him and his brother. Ordinary children did not alter the course of nations, did bring down the incarnation of evil, did not change the hearts of men like him and yet… He bowed his head in prayer. He thanked Ishvalla for life and breath and the rebirth of his people. He thanked her for the crops and cattle and the earth beneath his feet. He was thankful that people such as Edward Elric existed in this world and he sent many blessings to the boy and his family. Once the sun had risen, the man who had once been a scar and had somehow managed to become a man again got to his feet. There was much to be done on this day and he couldn't afford to waste time.

He'd told himself when he went on his foolish quest that it had been God's plan for him and, in an ironic way, it had been. He thought with his murderous behavior he had forsaken Ishvalla's divine salvation but it had all been put into effect when he touched his right arm of destruction to that fair-haired boy. Ishvalla had led him to those children for a reason, not to destroy them, but to be saved by them. And that is why he so quickly accepted the offer to rebuild Ishval after he survived the battle with Bradley.

Because one day he had been stopped from killing a young boy who would undo the evils they had endured. Ishvalla worked in mysterious ways when soon that child came back and showed him how to live again, how to make his life count for something again. He worked to rebuild his country and his culture all the while looking a child more than half his age as an example. He hoped one day he would see Edward again, to take that young man's hand into his own and bless him for all the good he has done. Until that day came, he would have to content himself with his prayers and hope that the godless boy would hear. "Thank you Edward Elric," he said with a light bow in the direction of Amestris. "Without you and your light, this scar would have never healed." He stood upright and silently climbed off of the roof and back into the present.

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A lot of people have talked about the relationship between Scar and Winry (as they should, it's a fascinating dynamic) but I see very few people talking about the enormous impact that Edward and Alphonse had on Scar. Like most people who met the Elric brothers, Scar was completely changed by them forgoing his vengeance to seek his justice elsewhere. But just think about it from his view. A man who had forsaken God is moments away from killing a child in the street, and soon that child comes back and allows him to redeem himself. Imagine the impact that must have had on him, so yes, I can all too easily imagine Scar sitting on the roof of his house giving thanks to Edward.


End file.
